Museum History

Winston S. Churchill: A Life of Leadership Exhibit

Explore the life and times of one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century at this fun, exciting and educational interactive exhibit! Read More

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury

Twice destroyed by fire, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, located at the corner of Westminster Avenue and 7th Street, is part of the National Churchill Museum. Dating from the 12th century, it was redesigned by Sir Christopher Wren in 1677 after the Great Fire of London. Left in ruins by World War II, the architectural masterpiece was saved from demolition. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury was reconstructed and restored on the Westminster College campus in the 1960s.

Breakthrough - The Cold War Memorial

One year after the November 9, 1989, fall of the Berlin Wall, President Ronald Reagan dedicated Breakthrough, an 11-foot-high by 32-foot-long structure sculpted from 8 sections of the Berlin Wall by artist Edwina Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill, as the centerpiece of the Cold War Memorial on the Westminster campus. Visitors may view Breakthrough on Latshaw Plaza adjacent to the Churchill Museum.

The 'Iron Curtain' Sculpture

On May 13, 2011, a new sculpture titled 'Iron Curtain' was unveiled in front of the National Churchill Museum. Its sculptor, Don Wiegand, and Richard J. Mahoney, Churchill Fellow and Museum Board of Governor, spoke of their role in this undertaking and of the sculpture's wider significance. While Churchill sculptures and statues are many around the world, none capture the "Iron Curtain" address and certainly few capture Churchill the man in quite a dramatic form. Please see this new piece outside the Museum in our newly remodeled entrance plaza.